Treatment of oils.



UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

BELA LACIE, or VIENNA, AUSIRIA-YI-IUNGARY.

TREATMENT .or' OILS.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 5, 1913. Serial No. 771,873.

Patented July 28, 1914.

To all whom it ma z] concern:

Be it known that I, BELA LAoH, a subject of the Austro-I-IungarianEmperor, and reimpurities, particularly of a gelatinous and albuminousnature; and it comprises a.

process of treating such fats and oils with formaldehyde and with steamin order to remove from the fats and oils such impurities; it furthercomprises a process of treating the resulting purified oil in order toremove therefrom any excess of formaldehyde and to effect a furtherpurification of the oil by means of hydrogen, and particularly bytreatment with nascent hydrogen generated in the oil mass, all as morefully hereinafter set forth and as claimed.

According to processes where strong reagents such as concentrated acidsor alkali are used for refining oil, the oil is attacked to a greater orless extent, causing losses of the oil, and often causingthe formationof "objectionable by-products. Moreover, the

removal of impurities, especially those of a gelatinous and albuminousnature, presents particular difliculties. According to the process ofthe present invention, oils are freed from such impurities and also fromobjectionable compounds which cause color and odor of the oils withoutthe formation of objectionable by-products and losses resultingtherefrom.

maldehyde into the oil. The formaldehyde added may be of the formcommercially known as formalin (40% solution) or the polymerized formknown as paraformaldehyde. The amount added should be sufficlent(usually less than 1% is sufficient) to coagulate and precipitate theelatinous and albuminous matters. Usual y these substances are removedafter a treatment lasting for about one-quarter to one-half an hour, bywhich the albuminous materals are septemperature.

arated in an insoluble form and precipitated.

With oils containing onl a small amount of such gelatmo-us and abuminous matters,

only a small amount of formaldehyde is necessary. With oils containinglarger amounts of such substances correspondingly more formaldehyde isnecessary. With some oils the formaldehyde in addition'to removlng suchmaterials appears to combine with the oil itself, partly at least,apparently in the form of unstable compounds.

In order to remove any excess of formaldehyde which may be retained inthe oil' after the preceding treatment and to accomplish furtherpurification, the fats and oils when still boiling are treated withabout 1 to 2% of a metal powder and with a mineral acid, to generatehydrogen therefrom. As such metal powders may be mentioned, for example,zinc dust andiro-n filings. If zinc dust-is used it penetrates the wholemass of the fat and oil so that upon addition of acid,

such as hydrochloric or sulfuric acid, hy-

drogen is generated throughout the mass in a nascent state. Instead ofgenerating the hydrogen in this manner, other suitable processes ofhydrogenation can be used. By the action of this hydrogen formedintimately in contact with the oil, and in a nascent or reactive state,the excess of formaldehyde is removed. This formaldehyde is reduced toits alcohol which is soluble in water and which is volatilized at theboiling Consequently, the formaldehyde if present in excess after havingacted upon the oils as an agent of purification is completely removedexcept for such small amounts as may have become combined with the oilwith suflicient permanence to prevent removal by this process. Thehydrogenation, in addition to removing the excess of formaldehyde,further purifies the oil and destroys impurities which impartcolor andbad odor to the oils, the hydrogen combining with the unsaturatedcompounds. In'this manner sulfur compounds are attacked and removed in avolatile form, sulfureted hydrogen being given off.

By the treatment of the oils-with formal dehyde, combined with andfollowed by the hydrogenation of the oils, oils of a superior quality,and relatively free fromcolor and odor, are obtained. By this processoils which can not be refined primarily by silicates or fullers earthare converted into products which can be subsequently refined excellentqualities of odorless and colorless ther generation of hydrogen.

oils. The soy bean oil is of such a nature.

Without the treatment of the present invention it is difficult to refinethis oil by silicates or fullers earth. After the treatment according tothe present. invention it gives a very valuable product upon refinementwith fullers earth.

Instead of employing the metal in a poweredform, it can also be used inthe form of sheets and filings. If sheets are used they .are hung orsuspended in the boiling oil or fat. When zinc dust is used in thepresent process a sort of zinc sponge is formed after the action hasproceeded'for sometime, this sponge forming lumps and preventing fur-When this stage is reached the steam is turned off and the oil allowedto rest, whereupon the impurities gather at the bottom and the oilbecomes clarified.

The novel process of the present invention can be combined with, or usedas a partial substitute for, other processesof purification. Accordinglyoil which has been subjected to the present process can be furthertreated by other processes, such as further hydrogenation, purificationwith fullers earth, etc.

The process of the present invention causes very small losses of oil andresults in the productlon of superior oils and fats which aresubstantially free from impurities of a gelatinous and albuminous natureand other objectionable impurities. The oil may also be to a reater or"less extent saturated or hydrogenated, and unsaturated compounds presentmay at the same time be saturated and partially or completely removed.It is usually advantageous to agitate the oil during this treatmentexcept when it is desired to permit separation of the impurities to takeplace. This agitation is conveniently effected by the use of steam coilsopenin below the surface of the oil, or near the bottom of the oil mass.

It is intended for the foregoing description to be illustrative of theinvention. The invention is not limited to this specific description.Varying amounts of formaldehyde can be used in this process, althoughfor practical operations the amount used. need be only that which issuflicient to completely free the oil of impurities, this amount beingadvantageously added radually in-' stead of all at once as alreadydescribed. Otherprocesses of hydrogenation also-can be used instead ofthat described: which will give the hydrogen in a nascent condition orin such a reactive condition that it Wlll accomplish the desiredpurification I I claim: 4 D

1. The process of purifying oils which comprises heating the oils withdirect steam and with formaldehyde, and subse uently subjecting the oilsto treatment with ydrogen.

cient to remove the gelatinous and albuminous impurities, andsubsequently treating the oils with a metal and acid to generate nascenthydrogen therein.

5. In the art of purifying oils, the process which comprises subjectingthe oils-to treat- ;ment with direct steam and with formaldehyde.

6. In the art of purifving oils, the process which comprises subjectingthe oils to treatment with'direct steam, formaldehyde and a metal and anacid which generate hydrogen. 7. In the art of purifying oils, theprocess which comprises subjecting the oils to the actionof directsteamand gradually adding formaldehyde during such action until thegelatinous and albuminousimpurities have been precipitated;

8. In the art of purifying-bil s, the'iprocess which comprises treatingthe oils'with formaldehyde, and removing any excess of formaldehyde bytreatment with hydrogen.

9. In the art ofpurifying oils, the process which *comprises'treatingthe oils with 'for maldehyde, and removing any excess of formaldehyde bytreatment with a metaland an acid which generate nascent hydrogentherein. Y

In testimony whereof, I hereto aflix my signature in presenceof thewitnesses.

I BELA LACH.

Witnessesz ALFRED Krona,

- Rnnonr Mnsrrau.

